Improvement in grain-separators



J. "c a ow'na N -.lmprovement in Grain Separators. No, 124,244, 0 PatentedMarchfa, I872.

w d V//Mi Parana Frien- JAMES C. BOWDEN, OF FAR-MINGTON, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN-SEPARATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,244, dated March 5, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, James G. BOWDEN, of Farmington, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Grain-Separator; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying d awin g forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 represents a rear elevation, partly in section, of my improved grain-separator, the line 0 c, Fig. 3, indicating the plane of section. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the machine taken on the plane of the line is k, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same taken on the plane of the line 0 7c, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention has for its object to produce a grain cleaner and separator which will be thorough in its operation, easy to keep the motion, and always under full control of the operator, who can regulate the quantity to be fed with great exactness.

The invention will first be fully described and then clearly pointed out in the claims.

A in the drawing represents the frame of my improved grain-separator. This frame is made of wood or other material, sufficiently strong and of convenient size for sustaining the working parts of the machine. At one end of the frame is rigidly affixed to the same the feed-hopper B, which, by a central partition, a, is divided into two parts, so as to form two discharge-spouts leading into the machine. O (J are two cylindrical screens, hung parallel to each otherand in the same plane longitudinal] y within the frame A. Each screen (J consists of a shaft, (1, radial arms 0, and of a wire covering, f, having meshes of requisite fineness. The shafts (Z (Z are hung in requt site hearings in the frame A and carry pulleys g 9, over which a chain or belt, h, passes, said chain or belt passing also around a pulley, t, which is mounted upon a longitudinal separating shaft, D. The arms 6 6 project radially from their respective shafts, and serve to sustain the rods or pieces to which thewire covering is secured. Instead of being cylindrical the screens 0 may as well be of prismatic or ediiivalent form. The shaft D extends lengthwise through the frame A, and has a crank-hamlle,j, at one end nearest the hopper, whereby it can be revolved. It will then, by the chain or belt h, impart rotary motion in opposite directions to the two screens 0 C.

The spouts (1 cl on the hopper are turned into the rotary screens, respectively, to discharge the grain into the upper end of the same, the cylinders being, by preference, slightly higher near the hoppers than at the other end. Within or close to the spout I) each shaft (1 cl carries one or more spiral blades, ll, which, in revolving with the shaft, serve to convey the grain from the spout into the screen. Directly above each spout there is, in the hopper B, a perforated plate, 122, and under or over the same a perforated slide, a, connected with a lever, E, at the end of the machine. By means of the slides a the discharge of grain from the hop pers can be conveniently regulated by theperson turning the crank, the levers E being within convenient reach of the crank-handlej, as indicated in Fig. 3.

In the rotating screens (J G the grain is sifted, so as to have all small seeds and small grain separated. These screenings fall upon inclined vibrating sieves F F, under which there are plates G G. The sieves F discharge the coarser part of the screenings at the sides of the machine from spouts 0 0 while the liner matterpassin g through the sieves is discharged from the plates G over spouts p p. Bags or other receptacles can be suspended from the spouts 0 and p to collect what they discharge. The grain in the rotary screens is carried to the lower ends of the same, and discharged therefrom upon a flat perforated screen, l-I, made of zinc or other material, under which there is a similar shorter screen, I. All the coarse stuff passes over the end of the screen H, while that which passes off the lower screen I, drops in a spout, J,'and may be collected and placed in the hopper for further action. The good grain passes through the screen I and is collected on the bottom 7' of the machine. The shaft D carries a toothed bevelwheel, s, which meshes into three pinions, t, t,

and Qt, as shown in Fig. 2. The side pinioust t are mounted upon crank-shafts o c, which impart, by means of rods w w, the necessary shaking motion to the. sieves F and plates G, while the lower pinion u on a crank-shaft, w, imparts, by a rod ,the shaking motion to the screens 11 and I. The screens are suspended by straps z 2, which may be perforated at intervals to let the screens be suspended at suitable heights.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The zinc screensHI, combined with sieves F F, plates G G, and rotary screens 0 0, all arranged as and for the purpose described.

2. The arrangement, in a grain-separator, of the shaft D carrying Wheels 1' s, belt h. and pinions t t w, with respect to the several screens and sieves, as and for the purpose described.

JAMES (J. BOVVDEN.

Witnesses:

N. S. HARROLD, JOHN F. COPELAND 

